


Duality of a Super Villain

by orphan_account



Series: The Py-Romancer Series [2]
Category: Game Grumps, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Egobang - Freeform, F/M, Gen, In a closet, Kissing, M/M, Party, Second Date, Slight Violence, based on grumpyporn's super hero verse, developing egobang, developing rubbercommander, fire breather arin, mom barry, rubbercommander - Freeform, shape shifter holly, siren danny, super strong mark, teleporter ross
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-12
Updated: 2017-01-12
Packaged: 2018-09-16 23:32:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9294509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Dan offers Arin a date to Holly's party. He opts to bite the bullet now and show him his powers before he was scared off. They end up in a closet.Ross has a sass attack, followed by the excitement of being paid attention to by his biggest crush: Holly Conrad. They also end up in a closet.





	

**Author's Note:**

> ONCE AGAIN! Read @grumpyporn's fic verse BEFORE THIS! Its called Super Villains Are Just Too Hot! On THEIR tumblr! They inspired me to write this. It's like fan fiction squared. Enjoy!

There were only a few instances in the academy where Heroes and Villains intermingled.

One instance, as previously described, was detention.

Detention was a place where the delinquents of the academy served out their time. It wasn't really a danger, seeing as, for one, it was monitored by a Hero who could kick the butts of the kids who tried to pull any tricks; for two, there weren't ever enough Heroes and Villains in detention at once to warrant two separate buildings for each category; and for three, maybe seeing what one group was up against (according to Dr. Wecht) would help straighten the other out. Heroes seeing Villains that are half vampire or have hypnotizing abilities will make them want to train harder. Vice versa, maybe seeing heroes that can shape shift or breathe fire would make Villains want to switch sides. 

The second instance was school assemblies and dances, but that was mostly due to the academy's budget. 

The third instance that Heroes and Villains came together during was lunch.

Forty five minutes of un-monitored, uninterrupted time for Heroes and Villains to chat, dance, kiss, fuck, fight, kill, eat, or anything else they could think of anywhere on campus. The only adults that were there were the lunch ladies and lunch men, who were retired side kicks. People with the ability to turn into a guinea pig or the power to fly five inches off the ground weren't going to be a big help with stopping, say, students like Arin Hanson and Dan Avidan from getting into a fight; or, say, students like Ross O'Donovan and Holly Conrad from flirting with each other.

***

Dan and Ross were in line together, waiting impatiently for their turn for food.

Unlike most schools, the lunches here were actually worth eating. The main course changed by the day, but the constants (meals that were always there despite the central dish) were usually as followed: homemade pizza from Mr. Jeremiah, who could grow plants with his mind; mozzarella sticks from Mrs. Yenna, who had super light speedy fingers for slicing and dicing; and chicken noodle soup from Ms. Ariel, the detention monitor. 

"I'm glad it isn't fish soup," she often said as a joke.

The main course, today, however, was steak. Not the biggest or the leanest, seeing as the school was providing for near a thousand kids, but still steak nonetheless. Ms. Combusto was preparing them, a fire bender herself. Often a teacher for the other fire benders, she still took this job on Tuesdays just because she never had class that day. She didn't use her powers to cook the steaks though, just the grill.

For the most part.

One thing about Ross: he was incredibly charming. As charming as Danny, in a way (minus the powers). He was, all things considered, intelligent, and had a very... _mature_ sense of humor that he delivered in a way that made even Dr. Wecht chuckle sometimes. He may have been a Villain, but some of the Hero staff just couldn't help but like him and his antics, annoying though they may be.

"Hey Danny, watch this," he whispered as they neared the table that Ms. Combusto was preparing the steaks. Once there, Ross held out his tray at arm's length with a coy smile spreading on his face.

"What'll it be?" asked Ms. Combusto. By that, she meant how did Ross want his steak done. Rare, medium rare, medium well, or well done.

Ross asked for rare.

"One rare, coming up," said Ms. Combusto as she turned and pierced a pre-made steak with a large fork. A little blood came oozing out of the holes where she'd poked it. She plopped it on Ross' plate.

"Next."

Ross took maybe a half a step away from the counter, when he stopped, and slapped a palm to his forehead. His voice was higher pitched than normal, dripping with feigned shame. "You know," he said, chuckling, "did I say rare? I'm sorry, my bad. I meant well done." He held his plate out once more, smiling at the annoyed look he was receiving from Ms. Combusto. "Could you...fix it for me?"

"Once it's off the grill, it can't go back on the grill," she said.

"Oh, but that's not what I was referring to Ms. Combusto. Could you..." he jimmied his plate a little for emphasis. "...cook it for me?"

There was a pause. A standoff of sorts. What must've been going through her head at that moment. Maybe something like, _"Why do I gotta deal with this kid. I need to leave him alone but he won't leave me be if I deny him. I need to get a hobby away from the students."_ Then there was a sigh. An outstretching of hands as Ross handed his plate over with the air of a man who had just defeated the Avengers single handedly.

"This one time O'Donovan," she said sternly, in the same tone the last time he did this with the chicken. "Next time, deal with it."

Ross only nudged Dan's shoulder and whispered, "Every time." Dan shook his head and smiled. 

Ms. Combusto set the plate on the counter, pointedly away from the other students who were watching with dumbfounded grins. She placed a hand about an inch above the steak and, after a second, a flash of bright orange fire bursted out of her hand and was sucked into the steak. When she handed Ross' plate back, both her hand and the steak were smoking. 

"Last time," she said. Her attention turned to Dan. "What for you?"

"None, thanks, I'm just going with him."

"Course you are," Ms. Combusto mumbled under her breath. "Next."

***

The two arrived at the table they often ate at. None of the tables were labeled of course, but everyone had their spot, and most kids never ate in the lunch room anyway. Neither did Danny or Ross, for that matter. They usually opted for their dorms or out in the garden on one of the concrete benches. Today, though, something kept Ross inside, and Danny saw what it was as soon as he walked in.

"She's so pretty," Ross admired as he shoveled steak bits in his mouth. "Gorgeous. So nice too."

Dan followed Ross' line of vision, and saw (with no surprise) that his eyes were focused on a girl by the name of Holly Conrad. Her hair color, which changed by the day, was a dark maroon purple that she had cut short and tucked behind her ears. She also had these ocean green eyes that Dan hadn't ever seen on anyone before, and he could agree that they were pretty. That she was pretty. In all honesty, she and Ross would make a nice couple. But there were two problems.

One: Ross was a Villain, and Holly was a Hero.

Two, more importantly: Ross was horrible with girls.

Atrocious, in fact. 

See, most boys would be halfway decent at hiding the fact that they can't confront a girl they like. They'd stutter, sure, or maybe get the occasional boner in public, but they'd be otherwise okay.

But most boys don't have super powers.

And most boys weren't Ross.

Ross was...Ross was a sight around cute girls. Especially around Holly. They'd pass each other on the way to their dorms, and the poor kid would start teleporting left and right, in and out of place like a computer glitch. One arm teleported to the cafe and the other leg teleported to Spain. Stuff like that.

So Danny was just watching. Waiting to see what would happen.

"What do you think she'd do if we made eye contact right now?" Ross asked. He looked at Danny with bits of steak and sauce still on his lips, a bit of soda still dripping down his chin from where he'd taken a huge gulp.

"Well, she'd probably shift into someone you don't know and pretend she never saw you." Ross only glared at Dan, then stared ahead at Holly again, grabbing a napkin and wiping his mouth in the process.

Did anyone mention that Holly was a shape shifter?

She was. And she just happened to be one of the the highest level heroes in the school right now, because damn, she was good at what she did. Not only could she shape shift, but she also inherited the powers and abilities of the person she changed into. Say, if she shifted into Danny, she could hypnotize people too. But she never use her powers like that. She was a hero, so she was a goody two shoes down to her core.

But she held a certain devilish delight in messing with Ross, because she knew he had a crush on her. She liked him too, but still kept her distance because he was still a Villain, after all.

But the distance got shorter every time she talked to him.

Ross hoofed down the last of his steak and pushed his plate away from him. He was still focused on her, already starting to go a little haywire. Dan could see his foot tapping, flashing in and out of existence every now and then like a bad animation job.

"What if I called her over here?" Dan asked. Ross' head whipped around faster than he'd ever seen before and he shook his head no desperately.

"Dan, no, I swear to God--"

Dan cupped his hands around his mouth. "Hey Holly!" Holly's head turned in the direction of the call, and when she saw Danny, she cocked an eyebrow. Dan raised his hand and pointed at Ross, to which Holly smiled and started to walk over. Ross pulled Dan's hand out of the air.

_"DAN!"_ he whisper-yelled. "I'm gonna freaking kill you!"

"I would like to see you try," replied Dan as he elbowed Ross in the ribs to stop acting like a dope. Holly was at their tables in an instant.

"Hi Dan. Ross." Her voice was very pleasant when she spoke to anyone, even if they were villains. Although maybe she only talked like that around Ross. Speaking of, the kid looked like he was melting out of his seat. 

"Miss Conrad," Dan started because apparently Ross wasn't going to say anything, "been a while. How are you?"

"Good. I'm good. Class has been good." Holly turned to Ross. "What about you?"

Ross seemed to light on fire his face turned so red. Dan wanted to face palm. He really didn't know how to act normal did he? "No, I'm, yeah, I'm um...yeah I'm...I'm-I'm good. How are...how are you?"

Holly laughed at his ineptitude. "You're cute. So, okay, its actually a good thing that you guys called me over here because, I actually have a party going on this weekend, and I'd really love for you and Ross to come. Bring anyone."

Dan smiled, smacked Ross in the arm. "You hear that Ross? We're invited to a party." When he looked over, though, Dan saw that Ross was seemingly in another dimension, staring at Holly. Through her. But when Dan stomped on his foot under the table, he shook himself back into reality and opened his mouth to say, what Dan _thought_ would be something along the lines of, "We'll be there." 

But he sighed when Ross spat out, "You know, You shouldn't be over here."

Holly tilted her head to the side. "Oh? Why not?"  
"Be...uh...because we're, um...you know...we're villains and you're...You're not."

She smiled. "Oh, okay. So, then, why is it that your little boyfriend here--" Holly tapped the shoulder of Dan's jacket-- "can date a hero, and I couldn't date a Villain?" Just when Ross looked like he was about to explode, she stopped herself. "If I wanted to."

Ross, the master word smith, replied as followed: "Um...y-yeah. Why is...those things?"

"We aren't _dating,"_ Dan added, all too quickly. "I only talked to him once. And he's just a side kick too."

"It's all over the school. Both sides of it. Detention was full that day, but the main show was around you two. Word got out." Holly paused, just long enough to let Dan get that surprised look on his face because _fuck me,_ everyone knew about it. Was he that easy to see through? They'd only met once and now the whole school thought they were a thing.

But would he be okay with that? 

"So," Holly continued, "bring anyone." She winked at Dan, then turned to Ross. "Bring yourself." 

And just like that, she was off to return to her own group of friends, leaving the two boys on different levels of shock. Dan was on the level of being dumbfounded that the entire academy knew about his meeting with Arin, and Ross was about to blow his top.

"She called me cute," he said under his breath. After a second or two, he got frantic. "She called me cute!" Ross was holding on to Dan's arm and shaking it. "She freaking called me CUTE! Did you hear that?!"

Dan pried Ross' hand off his arm, dusting imaginary dirt off his jacket. "I heard it. I also heard that we're going to a party together." A pause. "You, me, and Mr. Arin."

"So I'm a third wheel?"

"Of course not!" Dan stood from his seat and gave Ross a buddy-like slap on the shoulder. "You'll have Holly."

A squeal stuck itself in Ross' throat at the thought of it. Him. With Holly. At a party. Absurd! "Where're you going?"

Dan smiled at his barely functioning friend. "To find my date."

***

"No."

Barry's tone was firm, complete with mom-like hand gestures that accentuated his point.

"Well why not? Other heroes'll be there," Arin said, like the repressed little teenager he was. "Holly'll be there, Ethan..."

"And _Dan."_ Barry spat his name like it was acid shooting out of his mouth. The name stuck to the floor and ate through the carpet into the storage basement below. "You can't go with him being there. And you _especially_ can't go _with_ him."

Arin threw his hands up in exasperation, falling backwards onto his bed. "Well, he asked me Barry, I can't just say no."

"What Saint raised _you?_ Of course you can say no. He can't make you."

Arin mumbled, "I mean, he can..."

But he didn't. Which was what even gave Arin the sense to stop and think to begin with. For some reason (a reason he could probably guess) Dan didn't want to use his powers on Arin. He was, all things considered, nice to him; and he's been kind the whole time. Gentleman like. Even when Dan proposed that they go to the party together, he made it clear that if Arin didn't want to go, Dan wouldn't make him. 

Something about that made Arin say yes.

But Barry, his apparent mother, was having none of it.

"Please don't go Arin. We can do fun stuff here. Play Smash, or, you know, watch movies?"

Arin rolled off the side of the bed. "Or," he said as he landed on his knees and stood, "you can stay here and _I_ can go."

Barry huffed in his computer chair, looking less like a mob boss and more like a four year old now that his arms were crossed. Could four year olds have beards? "I don't understand how you're so okay with going to a party with someone like _him."_ Again with the acid. Like mentioning Dan's name or even his likeness was the same as drinking some kind of poison. "If you piss him off enough, he could literally make you kill yourself."

"But he won't," Arin said.

"How do you know??"

Arin tossed his hands in the air, half defeated. "I don't friggin know, okay? But I trust him." 

"You're making a mistake."

"How do you know, Barry? Do you even know him?"

"I...I'm..." There was an imaginary stomping of Barry's foot. " Well I've been here longer!"

"And _I'm_ not an idiot." Arin turned, swinging open his closet door and perusing over his choice of outfits. "I'll be fine," he threw over his shoulder, "and if I get in a pinch, I know how to take care of myself. Lest we not forget--" he spun around and pointed at his mouth-- "I breathe FIRE?"

"Arin--"

"I'm going. Okay?" Arin stuck his hand into his wall of hanging clothes, grabbing a shirt at random. A shirt with pink sleeves and the words "I'm training to be a magical girl" plastered on the front was gripped in his fingers when he pulled his hand out.

Barry sighed angrily. "I'm totally making all the squirrels piss on your car," he said under his breath.

***

The party was being held at the recreation center, that, otherwise, was usually reserved for assemblies. The kids called it the "Teen Club" (clever name, huh?). It wasn't really anything grand, just a big open space and a couple of storage closets and a stage. 

Tonight, though, the room was covered wall to wall in decorations. Streamers rippled against the walls. Balloons made nests on the ceiling. Confetti littered the floor like metallic roaches, stomped on over and over by the teenagers mingling around. Sweat exchanged arms and chests, and the static of the crowd moved up and down, like breath. 

It felt like the entire student body was in that room, but it couldn't have been more than forty kids going in and out as they pleased. Music played from a speaker that some tech wizard mounted to the wall. Everyone talked with cups in their hands about this, that, how are you, good, how are you, I'm good too. It was a good party, and three interesting students had just entered it: a fire breather in a pink shirt and nervous heart beat, a teleporter with a blue shirt to match his sporadic eyes, and a siren with a black jacket and a smirk on his face. 

"Can you see her?" Danny asked Ross with condescension. He was ignored.

After a few seconds of waiting awkwardly in the doorway with Ross craning his neck over the sea of heads, he spotted one with a pink haircut that looked freshly dyed. He pointed, for some reason no longer ailed by his nerves. "There she is! I'm gonna go see her. You're with him right? Bye!" With a salute, Ross popped away, leaving Arin and Danny alone.

Arin cleared his throat. "So. Um. What do you want to do?"

There was a shuffling of feet. Hands going in pockets. The tucking of hair behind an ear. Then Dan just started forward, silently implicating that Arin was to follow. So he did.

"I have a question for you," said Dan. Arin couldn't see his face as he followed behind, only the bouncing brown curls that went up and down with every step. 

He stopped at one of the storage closets used to hold the tables, now empty because their contents were lining the wall, covered in snacks and punch. Dan twisted the dull brass knob and opened the door an inch. He turned his head and made eye contact with Arin. 

Arin's thoughts jumped to seven thousand different conclusions as he looked from the open door, to its knob, to the hand attached to it, up the arm, and the face connected to it all. _He's going to try and kill me,_ Arin thought, _or kiss me. Or try and have sex with me. Fuck, shit, shitfuck._

Danny must have been familiar with that particular look, because he held his right hand up and, with a genuine smile, said, "Not gonna kill you, or make you kill someone, or make a move. Just want a quiet place to talk, honest." He opened the door all the way, revealing a small room with rickety wooden walls and a lamp mounted on the ceiling, glowing dimly. It was empty. Dan stepped into it, making the space seem a little more inviting as the soft yellow light outlined his frame. "Only, of course, if you wanna."

Again with that consent thing. Making sure he wasn't being forced into anything he didn't want to do. Arin didn't understand what was so bad about Dan (besides, of course, the fact that when he was an adult, he was going to try and destroy the world; however, that was for a later date). Barry was wrong, this guy wasn't evil. At least, to Arin he wasn't. So, with a nod, Arin entered the small closet and gently shut the door behind them.

The commotion of the party was muffled behind the walls and door, making Arin feel as if he'd jumped in a pool as he stared in Dan's eyes. They were a dark brown, almost black; something he'd noticed when they'd first met, but it still threw him a little off guard. They were lovely eyes, especially when they were compared to Arin's shade of dry leaf brown.

A considerable silence built itself between the two. Arin averted his eyes and studied the lines of the wood on the ground. "So, what-um...what question did you wanna ask me?"

Dan seemed to snap out of something, shaking his head the slightest bit. "Oh! Yeah." He inhaled. "I just...okay...I want you to know what you're getting yourself into."

Arin looked back up, eyebrows raised. "Getting myself into?"

"Like, associating yourself with me."

Arin didn't understand. "What do you mean?"

Dan gave a small sigh, like he was embarrassed for having to explain it. "Because, you know, I'm...level five. Like. Taboo, big bad wolf, no no kind of situation. Like, hide your kids. That kinda thing."

"And you wanted to show me that by locking me in a closet?"

"You aren't _locked_ in here," Dan replied quickly. It was almost as if he was going to reach over and wiggle the knob, just to assure that he was telling the truth. "Anyway. I just...I wanted...to show you...my powers." Before Arin could open his mouth to reply, Dan pushed forward. "Because, like, if I scare you off, then I want it to be in the beginning." In the beginning? In the beginning of what? Has something like this happened before? "So, if you'd let me, I wanna show you how I can control people. Nothing bad, just, like, something small."

Arin fell silent as he considered. Imagine, if you want, that a miniature angel and devil had perched themselves on either side of his shoulders, and they tried to convince him to take their side. Arin could hear Barry's voice yelling into his ear. "Arin, no, he's evil," it said. He knew that's what would be said. The devil, however, urged him on. How bad could it be? it asked. Come on, take a chance. You can be responsible later. Arin contemplated hard. Yes? Or no?

After a minute or so, he locked eyes with Dan, nodded, and said, "Okay, you can show me."

***

 

After Ross saluted Dan and Arin, he appeared in front of Holly. She, startled, reeled back a step (had there been a drink in her hand, it would be decorating her lace-shouldered peach shirt). When she saw that it was only Ross, however, she smiled, and composed herself quickly. 

"Ross!" she exclaimed. "You made it. Awesome. How are you? You look good."

_Keep it cool keep it cool keep it cool._ "Thanks! I'm doing fine, you-um-you look good too. I mean, not that you don't look good all the time, you do, because-like-I mean-you know-you..." He cleared his throat. "I'm doing good." 

_Smooth._

Holly laughed, much to Ross' delight. A laugh that made his chest swell with pride knowing that he had caused it. "Well, I'm glad I look good all the time. Do you want something to drink?"

"Oh, yeah, totally. I'll go get us some." Ross started to move towards the table, but Holly stopped him by pressing her hands against his chest. Fainting seemed like a reasonable reaction to that, but he forced his legs to stay steady. Her touch was so soft, so gentle.

"I'll get them. There's a...There's a lot of heroes at the party." The implication couldn't have been more clear. "You just...stay here. Okay?" Ross nodded, disappointment poking at his chest because he knew that there was only one hero who even remotely liked him, and she was walking away, disappearing into the moving forest of kids.

A few seconds passed with Ross standing still, in the middle of the swaying crowd. Music punctured the air, and the flashing neon lights in the dark added to the mood. It certainly was a party. Holly knew how to put one together. 

A shoulder pushed into Ross, sending him a few steps askew. His first thought was that it was an accident, but logic kicked in soon enough. This was a room full of teenagers after all.

When Ross got his bearings, he saw that the culprit was Mark, standing there smiling like he'd won something.

"Well if it isn't Ross Never-Going-To-Be-A-Real-Villain O'Donovan," said Mark, his voice higher pitched, like he was speaking to a child. 

Ross didn't miss a beat though. "Well hi, Mark I'm-A-Douchebag-Who-Thinks-I'm-Better-Than-Everyone-Else Fischbach."

Mark, to put in simple terms, had been kind of an asshole to him and Dan lately. Okay, a really big asshole.

Except for the fact that he normally wasn't.

Ross had seen Mark more than once around the academy. He was a pretty good guy to everyone he met, Villain or not. He would always give greetings to those he passed in the hallway, help someone who'd dropped their books, donate to all the school fundraisers, and even stay behind to help a teacher clean up after an especially destructive class activity. He was nice, his messy red-dyed hair a staple of his personality: fiery and passionate for the thing he loved to do most, which was entertain. 

The guy loved to make people laugh. More often than not, he'd start to giggle at his own silliness, and the contagiousness of his laugh would spread to everyone else. He'd even made Ross laugh one more than one occasion. Mark would try to use his powers--super strength, deeming him a Level Three Hero--to look cool, but he'd usually fail and just give into the buffoonery. 

After a certain situation though, Mark wasn't very friendly towards Ross anymore. 

"So how'd you get in here?" Mark asked. "Were you invited or did you just teleport in here like the lowlife you are?"

Ross rolled his eyes, pleased that he could finally practice his one true talent: back talking. "Actually, I was invited by Holly personally. So that begs the question Mark. How did _you_ get in here? Were you invited, or did you just break down the door because you couldn't find the knob?"

"Invited by Holly, sure," said Mark with a scoff. He crossed his arms. "Is that who you're waiting for? Or did your walking fish bone abandon you?"

Walking fish bone? Seriously? Let Ross show you how it's done. It takes a little finesse to truly insult someone in that biting, venomous way that makes a person heat up and start to cry. It's a talent really.

"You know, Mark, I actually am waiting for Holly. She wanted me to come to the party. Your dog probably wouldn't even want to go anywhere with you."

Mark leaned down, glasses slipping down his nose. His breath was a mouth full of acid. "Chica could bite you in _half."_  
"I'd like to see her try. You're so far up her ass she probably couldn't go anywhere."

An angry hand was wiped through a head of red hair. He was antsy now. "It's called loving your pet."

Ross crossed his arms, hand coming up and holding his chin as if he were in deep thought. "Oooooooh, okay, but, I thought Chica was a girl, because why would she be so into little bitches?"

A laugh bubbled its way out of Ross' throat at the look on Mark's face. He was red to match his hair, so much so that if you focused, you could see steam rising out of his ears. Ross was victorious.

Ross leaned into Mark's ear and said quietly, "If you don't wanna end up in the deep side of a lake again, I'd suggest that you go somewhere else." He even dared to slap Mark on the shoulder. "Take Chica for a walk."

Mark looked past Ross, at someone over his shoulder, and then turned to walk away, but not before giving Ross a good hard shove as he mumbled, _"Henchman,"_ under his breath.

This push had more heave in it, as it was coming from someone who had just lost an argument, and also someone who had inhuman strength. Ross fell a good few feet backwards, losing his balance and slamming into someone behind him. He was sure it was Holly, and he was sure that her shirt must be ruined now, dotted with red punch that would never come out. Ross grabbed her hand in a desperate attempt to keep her from falling, already starting to rehearse his monologue of apologizes.

"Holly, oh my god--" he regained his balance, and tried to dust the Mark off his shirt as he looked up. But he was surprised to find that the person he had gotten pushed into wasn't Holly. "Dan? Wh-wait, what? Where's Holly? Where's Arin?"

Dan looked confused for a second, eyes seeming to flash in the neon lights. "Umm...Arin...is...uh..."

"But where'd Holly go?" Ross tried to peer over Dan's shoulders to spot her at one of the tables. "She was...right--"

"Holly left," Dan said bluntly.

Ross blinked. "What?" He felt his wrist being grabbed and led the opposite direction he was looking. "What do you mean she left?"

Dan didn't answer; he only sped forward, walking clumsily towards one of the storage closets. He flung the door open, shoved Ross inside, inserted himself, and shut the door. 

Their breaths were slightly labored against the stiff air inside the wooden room. But Ross wasn't focused on that. He wasn't even asking why Dan had just pushed the two of them in a closet. All he could focus on was, _Holly left._

Why'd she leave? Despite his best efforts, Ross couldn't help thinking it was because of him. Having to associate yourself with a Villain in a room full of kids who condemn them? It must've been too embarrassing to deal with. On some level, he couldn't blame her, but on another, he was already feeling morose.

He couldn't feel sorry for himself for very long, however, because Dan demanded his attention.

"Listen to me Ross, come on."

"Why'd you pull me in here Dan?" Ross asked pathetically, with the sound of rejection. "Just lemme go home."

"Fricking...okay." He paused. When he spoke, his words came out slow and slugged along, like he was trying way too hard to speak correctly. "Holly wanted me to do something for you. _To_ you. For her. Uhh..."  
"What?"

"She-okay. She...really, really likes you. You know that right?" Dan's hands were suspended in the air near his waist, like he was waiting for something to come out and grab him. He waited for a response.

Ross didn't know what response to give. His mind flipped between _Well, duh, how obvious can you get?, You're clearly out of your mind, she'd never like me._ and other thoughts along that same track.

He settled for doubt. "Really?"

Dan smiled at him. "Really. And, um...she really wants to know if she could...um.."

Ross' brows inched together. "You are making zero sense."

Dan made a frustrated nose, burying his hands in his face for a few seconds before blurting out, "She wants to kiss you."

Ross' jaw started to drop. "Wh-"

"And she wants to know if you'd kiss her back."

There came that glitching again. His arm was suddenly at the punch table and back, his leg was going back and forth between the closet and Indonesia, and his face was glazed over with shock and awe and everything else. "Of course! I've been fuckin' pining for it for years!" (Two years) "Why'd she leave if she wanted to kiss me?"

Dan stepped a little closer. "She's scared of liking you," he continued. "Because of you being a Villain. But she doesn't think you're evil. She doesn't think I'm evil either." He put a hand on Ross' shoulder. "So what do you say?"

"The hell do you mean what do I say? Of course I'd kiss her. If only she'd stayed I would've done anything to have her want to kiss me." 

Dan's eyes fell, half lidded. His smile was one he'd never seen before. "Perfect." Ross backed up until he was against the end wall (which was only about three inches), and Dan was against him. 

"Woah, Dan, what the f-"

Before Ross could finish his sentence, the reality in front of him wobbled. Dan's eyes went from brown to green; brown hair to pink, non boobs to...boobs. _Holly?_

He would've exclaimed this out loud, except for the fact that Holly cupped his face in her hands and practically collided with his lips. He made some kind of squeaking sound in the back of his throat, and suddenly they were kissing. He was kissing her. No. She was kissing _him._ Let's make that very clear. Holly, of her own choice, was kissing Ross.

Ross had no hesitance in kissing back. He reached up and slid his fingers around the back of her neck. The other hand brought Holly's waist closer. He was scared to try these things; it was too good to be true, but it was, and Holly seemed fine with it. But Ross still wasn't sure.

He pulled away. Their breath was slightly labored, mixed with two sets of nerves. "Are...are you sure that--?"

Holly pulled him back in with a roll of her eyes, and she laughed at the surprised sound Ross made.

_She kissed me twice._ Ross felt the need to count them. Once. Twice. Hopefully more.

After a few moments in heaven, it was Holly who pulled away this time. She chuckled under her breath, and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Good?" She asked. Ross' eyes were shiny, and he nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah!" He paused. "I'm really glad you weren't Dan though, because you almost gave me some *really* confusing emotions right about then."

Holly laughed. "Well, lucky for you, it was just me."  
"You say that like it's a bad thing."

***

Dan and Arin stood against the outside of the closet door, separated from the crowd. They watched for a second. Or rather, Dan was watching the crowd, and Arin was watching Dan.

This guy, Arin swore. He was an enigma. He goes from teasing Arin to no end, to asking him to a party? And when they end up in a closet together, he doesn't even bother making a move; he just offers to show Arin his powers like some kind of show and tell. He didn't get it. Dan was supposed to be evil. More evil than any other kid in the school. The bad boy. Leather jackets and cracking knuckles and plots for world domination. Yet here he was, acting more like a kid fresh out of middle school talking to his crush.

"What are you going to do?" Arin asked. Dan didn't look over at Arin when he replied.

"I'm looking for someone in particular." The neon lights outlined Dan in flashing patterns of red and purple and blue. They made his eyes glisten; Arin couldn't help but stare.

After a moment, Dan raised his arm and pointed at some kid in the distance. Before Arin could ask who it was, Dan cupped his hands over his mouth and called, "Hey Mark!"

Arin saw someone turn his head, and he immediately knew who the kid was.

He'd seen him a few times and spoke with him too. Mark was nice enough, though by the look on his face when he saw that Dan was the one calling him, he wasn't so sure anymore.

Yet, despite looking as if Mark were smelling something foul, he started over, and Dan nudged Arin in the ribs. "That's the kid I made jump in the lake," he said under his breath.

"Him?" Dan nodded in confirmation, and Arin had to push down a laugh despite the spike of anxiety in his stomach. No wonder Mark looked hateful.

"I just got done talking to your Henchman, do I gotta deal with you too?" Mark asked condescendingly upon getting close. His hair, red as fire, seemed to glow in the dark, flashing lights of the room painting his face. Dan only gave him a toothy, fake smile.

"You do not have to 'deal' with me, dear friend. All I ask is for you to fetch me and my date, Arin here, some drinks." 

Arin felt his throat catch when he heard that. Mark glanced over, just now seeming to notice he was standing there. _Date?_ Was that what he heard? They might as well be married now. Mark would surely tell the whole school some horrible lie, like he caught the two of them locking tongues in the closet, considering that Arin could see on Mark's face how much he disliked Dan now: crossed arms, eyes dripping with contempt.

"Are your legs broken?" Mark spat. It was directed at him. Arin couldn't help but kind of shrink back against the closet door. He knew how strong Mark was, and he didn't feel like getting tossed over his shoulder and ending up with a broken clavicle or something, deemed some dirty word because he was an associate of Dan's.

Dan noticed Arin's reaction, however, and he jumped to his defense. "Actually," he started, "I'm the one who called you over here, so keep your eyes on me."

Mark looked back over at Dan, realizing what he meant by that just a second later than Arin did. Before Mark could pull away, Dan's eyes faded from their original dark brown to a lighter, amber brown. Arin took a sharp breath. He was not expecting that to happen. 

Dan's whole posture seemed to change; he stood straighter, his hand reaching up to hold Mark's chin. When he spoke, his voice was an octave higher, like he was talking to a child. "Mark, go get me and Arin some drinks~"

Arin watched, feet frozen to the ground, as Mark's face went blank. His eyes glazed over, as if he were tired, and his arms fell limp at his sides. When Dan released Mark's chin, he turned around, and walked with slow, deliberate steps into the crowd, towards the punch table. Arin looked on in shock.

He shot a look at Dan to ask if Mark was brain dead or something, but he was still in siren-mode: eyes amber brown, leaning against the wall as if he were bored, like he'd done this thousands of times before, staring with a locked gaze after Mark.

About a minute later, Mark returned with a glass in each hand. Dan stood up from against the wall and took one of the glasses, smiling, handing it to Arin. He averted Dan's eyes. 

"Thanks Mark, pal," said Dan, strained but still amused. It didn't look like he heard, though. Once Dan had the drinks in his hand, he closed his eyes for a second, took a breath, and opened them again. When he did, in the second it took for his eyes to bleed back into that darker brown, Mark returned back to normal, if only a little dazed. He looked down at himself, as if he were figuring out where he was. When he looked back up and saw Dan, his face drew up in anger.

"Am I your fucking pawn or something?" He demanded. Mark took a brooding step towards Dan, smacking the drink out of his hand. The plastic cup clattered on the ground, its contents splashing on the linoleum and spreading like watered down blood. It pooled halfway around Mark's shoes.

Before he could stop himself, Arin let his drink fall too, sticking his arm in between Mark and Dan. "Hey, Mark. Stop it, o-okay? We don't need to turn this into a fight."

"It's already a fight dude. It's been a fight." Mark shoved Arin's hand out of the way. "He's done this to me before. He's a fuckin' villain, don't you get that? You're a good guy Arin; you're nice. I'm honestly doing you a favor."

"You know, you keep going on like I killed your dog or something," Dan said. Mark returned his attention to him, confused.

"What do you mean?" He asked in a way that just _sounded_ like a short fuse ready to bust.

"I mean: all I did was make you go jump in a lake. And that's only because you just stood there while your shit talking friends talked down to me. We'd talked before so I thought: 'hey, maybe he'll stand up for me.' Boy was I fuckin' wrong!"

"So why didn't you make someone else go jump in if I wasn't even saying anything?"

"Because letting it happen is the same as doing it, Mark. I thought the King of Shoving Positivity Up Your Ass would know that."

Mark stared at Dan for a second, then scoffed, turning around and starting to walk away. Arin was silently relieved it was over.

"You know," Dan continued. Nevermind then. "You know the only reason you hate me and Ross so much now?"

Mark turned back around slowly, just angry enough to stay planted to the ground and listen. 

Dan didn't wait for affirmation. "Because you're so fucking _proud_ that you can't handle a little embarrassment."

"Dan you're provoking him," Arin whisper-yelled. Dan disregarded him. It seemed like he wanted a fight.

"You think you're so high and mighty that if something inconvenient happens to you, it's the end of the world."

In less than a blink, Dan was suddenly against the wall, pinned by his neck. Mark was inches from his face, breathing fire against Dan's nose. "You don't know _anything,"_ he hissed. "I've been through shit you can't imagine."

Arin reached forward in a futile attempt to try and pull Mark away. It was useless. With one shove, Arin was on the ground. Compares together, it looked like Mark could snap Dan in two, and it seemed like he was close to doing just that.

Dan was smiling. "What? Did Chica shit on your carpet?"

"I could fucking kill you, you know that right?"

Dan reached his hands up and held them against Mark's arm, barely trying to pull. He wasn't even working to get away at this point. "Do it and see were your hero ass lands when the Professor finds out you killed a kid over getting pushed in a lake. Sounds like something a hero would do."

Mark didn't seem to hear him. He raised his other hand, curled into a tight fist, and pulled it back. Dan recoiled back as far as he could. 

Arin couldn't help himself. Springing back on his feet, he screamed, "Stay the _fuck_ back!"

The other kids in the room probably wouldn't have noticed the exclamation over the music, had it not been followed by a burst of flame igniting the air. Mark flew back, leaving Dan sliding to the ground, coughing and watching with awe. The flame just skirted past Mark's face, casting dramatic shadows over his features, which were nothing short of shocked.

The music kept playing, and the lights kept flashing, but most of the movement stopped. Heads turned their way; hundreds of eyes. A moment of the kind of silence that overtakes a room even when music is playing. Then a few claps. The party resumed.

Arin sometimes forgot that this was still technically a high school and that teenagers are all essentially the same, powers or not. A fight is a fight, and no one cares unless someone's bleeding or dead.

Mark was gone before Arin could say anything, muttering curses under his breath as he went. With that finally over, Arin rushed to Dan's aid. He knelt down. "Are you okay?"

Dan blinked a few times, then cracked a smile. His hand was rubbing his neck absentmindedly. "Okay? _Okay?"_ He stood up, suddenly animated. "That was fucking amazing! I'm great! You nailed him!" He laughed. "I've never seen anything like that before."

Despite himself, Arin chuckled. "Well, yeah, there ya go I guess."

Dan chuckled back. "Well, thanks for the trade," he said as he stuck his hand out. Arin looked at it in confusion.

"What?"

"I showed you my powers and you showed me yours. Even."

"Ooooh," Arin said as he awkwardly took Dan's hand and shook it. It was surprisingly soft and steady. When they let go, the ghost of his grip was still on Arin's skin. He tried to ignore it as he asked, "Well I am positively bushed. Wanna go back home?"

"Yeah, guess so. I mean I accomplished what I came here to accomplish so I guess I have nothing left to do. Sure as hell am not gonna dance."

"Yeah. Same here."

Dan gave a salute. "See ya. Thanks for saving my beautiful face."

"It is-ah-uh-i mean-yeah, no..no problem. See-see ya. Heh."

Dan shook his head with a smile, whistled a goodbye, gave a salute, and walked away. 

Who knew first dates with the biggest villain in the school could end so well?

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for tuning in for part two! It's been a couple months, but I finally got it done! It's been a heck of a ride, so here, have with it what you will. Any thoughts? Criticism? Praise? I would love to hear from you.
> 
> Also, happy birthday to mt first offical series! I'm more than one shots! Looking forward to writing more if grumpyporn is okay with it.
> 
> P.S. I hate making Mark the antagonist, but we all need a little conflict huh?


End file.
